Page 6 - Lalu Prasad Yadav

BJP central leadership monitoring situation in Bihar: Giriraj Singh

Amid speculations about the return of Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's Janata Dal (United) to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA), Union Minister Giriraj Singh on Saturday said the BJP central leadership is "monitoring the political situation in Bihar". Talking to PTI on Saturday, Singh said "Our Central leaders will take decision accordingly". "Nitish Kumar is currently the Chief Minister of Bihar. Lalu Prasad's led RJD and Congress are the alliance partners of the Mahagathbandhan government in Bihar. Our Central leadership is monitoring the situationOur Central leaders will take decisions accordingly", the Union Rural Development minister said. Senior BJP leader and former Bihar deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi on Friday said "politics is about probabilities". "In politics, doors can never be closed", he had said in response to journalists' queries about JD(U)'s return to the NDA. "Whatever the central leadership decides, we will abide by it", he had said. Echoing

BJP calls meeting of party MPs, MLAs, Cong leaders to meet in Purnea

Amid the turmoil in Bihar's ruling 'Mahagathbandhan', the opposition BJP has called a meeting of its MPs and MLAs on Saturday apparently to discuss the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. According to BJP state unit chief Samrat Choudhary, the meeting will deliberate on the party's strategy for the general elections, the dates for which are yet to be announced. Asked about speculations that the BJP is set for another innings with Nitish Kumar's JD(U), Choudhary told reporters, "No such thing has been discussed at our level." The BJP leaders on Friday dropped major hints about Kumar's reported discussions with the party's senior leaders. Meanwhile, talking to reporters, senior BJP leader Sushil Kumar Modi said, "No door is closed in politics. The door can be opened if needed." In a separate development, Bihar Congress leader Shakeel Ahmed Khan has called a meeting of party MLAs and former legislators in Purnea at 2 pm on Saturday. He also denied reports that the meeting had anything to do w

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar unfurls national tricolour on 75th Republic Day

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Friday unfurled the national flag at his residence in Patna, on the occasion of the 75th Republic Day

Karpoori Thakur should have received Bharat Ratna long ago: Lalu Yadav

Taking a dig at the Centre, the RJD chief said that after the Bihar government conducted the caste census, the central government woke up and focused on the benefit of Bahujans

Bharat Ratna: 'Jannayak' Karpoori Thakur, mentor to likes of Lalu, Nitish

Former Bihar Chief Minister Karpoori Thakur, who has been chosen for the country's highest civilian award Bharat Ratna, is remembered as a stalwart of social justice and an inspiring figure in Indian politics. Hailing from the extremely backward class Nai (barber), Thakur was born in an impoverished family in Samastipur district but went on to make giant strides in politics that earned him the epithet Jannayak (people's leader). The official announcement which came a day ahead of Thakur's birth anniversary, hailed the socialist leader's lifelong dedication to the upliftment of the underprivileged sections of society and his relentless fight for social Justice. Born in 1924, Thakur went on to become the Chief Minister in the 1970s and his tenure is best remembered for introducing reservations for the backward classes, besides the state's first brush with prohibition. He died in 1988. Leaders of the current era like JD(U) president and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and RJD head L

ED issues fresh summons to RJD chief Lalu Prasad, son Tejashwi Yadav

The ED has issued fresh summons to RJD chief Lalu Prasad and his son and Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav to appear for questioning at its Patna office in connection with the alleged railways land-for-jobs money laundering case, official sources said on Friday. While Prasad has been asked to depose on January 29, Tejashwi has been called the next day on January 30. A team went to the official residence of Prasad's wife and former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi in Patna to deliver the summons, they said. The two have been asked to depose at the Enforcement Directorate office on Bank Road in the capital. The duo had skipped the earlier summonses issued in this case. The alleged scam pertains to the period when Prasad was the railway minister in the UPA-1 government.

Doesn't happen so quickly in alliance: Lalu on seat sharing in INDIA bloc

Earlier on January 15, RJD leader and Bihar Deputy CM Tejashvi Yadav said that the BJP had become nervous after the formation of the INDIA bloc

Railways land-for-jobs linked money laundering case: ED files charge sheet

The Enforcement Directorate on Tuesday filed its first charge sheet in the railways land-for-jobs linked money laundering case, naming former Bihar chief minister Rabri Devi and her MP daughter Misa Bharti. An alleged "close associate" of RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav's family Amit Katyal, some other individuals and companies have been named in the prosecution complaint (charge sheet), they said. The charge sheet has been filed before a special Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) court in Delhi and the court has listed the matter to be heard on January 16, the sources said. Katyal was arrested in this case by the ED in November last year while Lalu Prasad Yadav and his son and Bihar deputy CM Tejashwi Yadav were summoned by the agency but they have not yet deposed. The alleged scam pertains to the period when Prasad was the railway minister in the UPA-1 government. It is alleged that from 2004 to 2009, several people were appointed to Group "D" positions in various zones of th

Day after Nitish's assurance, rumours swirl around JD(U) prez's resignation

Rumours were afloat in Bihar on Tuesday that Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's key aide Rajiv Ranjan Singh Lalan' has told the former he wanted to step down as JD(U) national president. At the state headquarters of the party here, leaders had a tough time fending off queries of journalists, who also wanted to know whether speculations of a rift between Kumar and Lalan, on account of growing proximity of the latter towards RJD president Lalu Prasad, had a grain of truth. "You speak of fissures in the JD(U). I say there is not even a scratch, asserted state minister Vijay Kumar Chaudhary, who had turned up at the party office on his weekly round. Chaudhary also blamed the rumours surrounding Lalan in the media, saying, "We, in the party, have heard nothing of that sort, but you people give things whatever spin you wish and then drop it when it suits your news cycle". He evaded a direct reply when asked whether Lalan was likely to make a formal offer of his resignation at the JD(U)'s meet

Land-for-jobs scam: Fresh ED summons to Tejashwi, asked to appear on Jan 5

The Enforcement Directorate has issued a fresh summons to Bihar Deputy Chief Minister and RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav in the railway land-for-jobs scam case, asking him to appear on January 5, official sources said Saturday. He was earlier called to appear on December 22 but the 34-year-old skipped the summons. He had called the ED notice a routine affair. In the same case, his father and Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad Yadav has been asked to depose on December 27 at the ED headquarters in Delhi. The alleged scam pertains to the period when Prasad was the railway minister in the UPA-1 government. "There is nothing new in the summons. All these agencies -- ED, CBI and I-T department -- have summoned me so many times in the past and I have duly appeared every time. But now it seems to have become routine," the RJD leader told reporters on December 21 in Patna. He was one questioned by the ED in this case on April 11. It is understood that the summons come following the

ED summons Tejashwi, Lalu Prasad for questioning in money laundering case

The Enforcement Directorate has summoned Bihar deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav and his father and RJD chief Lalu Prasad for questioning in the railways land-for-jobs money laundering case probe, official sources said on Wednesday. While Tejashwi has been asked to depose on December 22, Prasad has been asked to appear on December 27 to record their statements under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). The alleged scam pertains to the period when Prasad was the railway minister in the UPA-1 government. It is alleged that from 2004 to 2009, several people were appointed to Group "D" positions in various zones of the Indian Railways and in lieu, these people transferred their land to the family members of the then railway minister Prasad and a linked company A K Infosystems Private Limited.

Court asks for CBI reply on Lalu's plea seeking supply of documents

Special judge Vishal Gogne asked the CBI to file a reply on pleas of eight accused seeking supply of deficient documents

INDIA bloc meeting on Dec 17 to chalk out strategy for 2024 LS polls: Lalu

RJD president Lalu Prasad on Tuesday said that top leaders of the INDIA bloc will be meeting on December 17 to chalk out the strategy for the 2024 Lok Sabha polls. Prasad was posed with queries by journalists, in Buxar district of Bihar, about the meeting that was scheduled on Wednesday but was deferred due to the inability of several top leaders to attend. "The meeting has now been rescheduled to December 17," said Prasad, a staunch ally of the Congress and also known to be close to the Nehru-Gandhi family. Speculations have been rife that Prasad's ally Nitish Kumar, the CM of Bihar, was reluctant to attend the meeting on Wednesday. At a recent public meeting, Kumar had lashed out at the Congress for neglecting INDIA bloc during the recent assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh. After the Congress' defeat in the crucial polls, many leaders of Kumar's JD(U) have gone on record saying that Congress made a mistake by failing to take on board regional parties

BJP accuses Nitish of appeasement after release of new school calendar

"Shame on the government that hates Sanatan for the vote bank," the post added

Land-for-jobs 'scam': ED arrests 'associate' of Lalu Prasad's family

The Enforcement Directorate has arrested Amit Katyal, an alleged associate of RJD chief Lalu Prasad and his son Tejashwi Yadav, in connection with a money laundering investigation into the alleged land-for-jobs scam case, official sources said on Saturday. Katyal was detained by the agency on Friday and was arrested after questioning, they said. He is expected to be produced before a local court where the ED will seek his custody for interrogation. Sources said Katyal was evading the agency's summons for questioning for about two months. The Delhi High Court had recently rejected his plea to quash the ED summons against him in this case. The premises of Katyal were raided by the federal agency in March when it had also covered the premises of Lalu Prasad, Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav, his sisters and others. Katyal, according to the ED, is a "close associate" of the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) supremo as well as a former director of A K Infosystems Private Limited. A

The politics of 'working from jail'

Lalu Prasad and Jayalalithaa took a similar approach when facing arrest, but Arvind Kejriwal is contemplating a rather unconventional path

Land-for-job scam case: Delhi court grants bail to Lalu, Rabri, Tejashwi

A Delhi court on Wednesday granted bail to RJD chief Lalu Prasad, his wife Rabri Devi and their son and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Tejashwi Yadav in the alleged land-for-job scam in the railways. Special Judge Geetanjali Goel granted relief to the accused after they appeared before the court in pursuance of summons issued against them. The court had on September 22 summoned the accused after taking cognisance of the charge sheet filed against them and other accused, saying the evidence prima facie showed commission of various offences, including corruption, criminal conspiracy, cheating and forgery. The agency had on July 3 filed a charge sheet in connection with the alleged scam. Prasad is out on bail in this case as well as fodder scam cases. It was the second charge sheet filed by the CBI in the case but the first in which Tejashwi Yadav has been named as an accused. The case pertains to Group-D appointments made in West Central Zone of the railways based in Jabalpur, Madhya

CPI's D Raja meets Lalu, discusses ways to step up fight against BJP

CPI general secretary D Raja met RJD president Lalu Prasad, and held discussions on stepping up the fight against the ruling BJP at the Centre. The CPI leader, who is in Bihar to attend a conference of his party's students' wing AISF, met Prasad on Wednesday at the residence of the latter's wife and former CM Rabri Devi. Talking to reporters, Raja said, "The formation of the coalition INDIA is an important step towards protecting the secular and democratic character of the country, which owes itself to the Constitution but faces threat from the current dispensation". Claiming that the BJP was rattled, fearing a rout in the Lok Sabha polls next year, the CPI leader said more parties may join INDIA in the run-up to the general elections. Raja, who will be in Begusarai on Thursday to attend the national conclave of AISF, said, "The CPI will unite the working class, farmers, women and students to provide the much-needed ballast to the INDIA coalition".

Lalu Prasad Yadav blames PM Modi for BJP parliamentarians 'bad behaviour'

RJD president Lalu Prasad on Friday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of giving rise to a "depraved social and political culture" which was manifest in the behaviour of BJP parliamentarians. The former Bihar chief minister, who was also a member of the Manmohan Singh cabinet. came out with the statement in Hindi in the social media. "The Prime Minister has given rise to a depraved (vikrit) social and political culture in which one of his MPs glorifies the terrorist who assassinated Father of Nation Gandhi ji," he wrote without taking any names. The allusion was apparently to Bhopal MP Pragya Thakur, who had called Nathu Ram Godse a "patriot", only to retract later under mounting public criticism. Prasad, who is a key figure in the opposition INDIA coalition, alleged "A BJP MP, (apparently) under instructions of the PM, made inappropriate, petty and unparliamentary remarks against an opposition MP. This is objectionable, deplorable and a cause of concern for society and democrac

Delhi Court summons Lalu Yadav, Tejashwi in alleged Land for Job scam case

Recently, the CBI has filed a chargesheet in the alleged Land for Job scam case against Lalu Prasad Yadav including his son Tejashwi Yadav and others